Ever flip through the pages of the Holy Bible to look for a verse that will back up your plans? Or ever wish the pastor will say the very words that will assure you you’re doing the right thing? How about waiting for a prophecy that will give a thumbs up to what you’ve got on your mind to do? And surely you get the very verse you’re looking for! But this is where we need to be super careful (if we are truly concerned about what God wants!):
And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone (Ps 91:21). And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. (Luke 4:3-12 KJV)
Jesus was obviously hungry being in the wilderness for 40 days. Was it wrong for Him to command the stones to be made into bread? Is it illogical for a hungry man to eat? Satan was not planting an evil thought in Jesus’ mind, it’s a fairly rational thought. However Jesus refuses to heed to the devil just because of one reason: that though he gave a logical solution to Jesus’ need, the words was not of God. To listen to the devil is rebellion against God, regardless of how good the thought is! Satan did not tell Jesus anything lewd, evil, dirty; he saw what Jesus was in need of and offered a solution. How often do we succumb to his suggestions when we are in need? Jesus knew that Satan’s intention was not to satisfy Jesus’ hunger but to get Him to obey him! That was the wicked plan behind the innocent solution. When we plan to get a job, a spouse, a date etc, we run to the Bible or open our ears and eyes to every word we hear/see on TV, books, through friends, preachers et al. Who is influencing our desires and giving a “thumbs up” for us to pursue them? Is it God or the devil?
Notice also that Satan knows the Bible like no man does! He knows every reference, passages and incidents recorded in the Holy Book. He used a verse from Psalm 91:12 to combat Jesus when He used the Scripture to fight the devil. God has not prohibited Satan to use His Scriptures! Satan will and does use it to trap God’s children into thinking that the verses and words are from God. Yet Jesus knew his adversary and knew His Father; God would never want Jesus to jump of the temple. If He did, would God not send his angels to save Him? He would! But the very act of testing God and jumping off the temple would have been an act of rebellion. When the devil can dare to use God’s Word against Jesus to accomplish his own agenda, how much more does he do the same with us?
People will always say good and encourage us in our dreams – regardless of them knowing better or knowing nothing. During the days of Isaiah and Jeremiah, the Lord had spoken through His prophets the impending downfall of Jerusalem. Yet there were prophets who claimed to be from God yet they prophesied lies of peace. They might have used their logic and thought the wrathful words of the true prophets were too “judgemental”, and that such a good God would never bring destruction upon His own people.
They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. “Peace, peace,” they say, when there is no peace. (Jer 8:11)
If the Word of God does not sound pleasing to you or does not support your vision of the future, do not go around seeking false assurances, even from the Bible. False assurances will be plenty, but warnings few. So discern the source behind your assurances because God does not give a green signal to any human plans.
As The Days Of Noah Were... 